Peace has broken out in Sri Lanka, though don't go there looking for coral. John Liddiard found that reef and wreck-diving on the west coast combined with the country's varied non-diving attractions went down very well indeed. more...

Tourist brochures are there to talk up a country's attractions. But when Brendan O'Brien went diving in the murky waters off Sri Lanka, he wondered whether he had gone to the right place"Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. A guarded secret... a fascinating submarine wonderland of gorgeously coloured corals, tropical fish and submerged ship wrecks... in clear blue waters." So said the Sri Lankan Tourist Board's brochure, its front cover displaying a photograph of a diver examining a vast sponge and sea fan in crystal clear water. Dreaming of discovering an alternative to the nearby Maldives, I visited Sri Lanka with my partner, keen to experience its "submarine wonderland". more...